COURSE NUMBER: MBA 294.2

COURSE TITLE: Wine Industry Speaker Series

UNITS OF CREDIT: 1.0

FACULTY SPONSOR: Greg LaBlanc

STUDENT ORGANIZERS: Kelly Deutermann, Valerie Li, Gregg Miller

E-MAIL ADDRESSES: dale_robinson@mba.berkeley.edu; emma_rothstein@mba.berkeley.edu; dan_reddin@mba.berkeley.edu

PREREQUISITE(S): none

CLASS FORMAT: Classroom activities will consist of a series of guest speakers who will lecture on various aspects of the wine industry. Class sessions will involve both lectures about the wine industry and wine tastings.

REQUIRED READINGS: There is no textbook or reader for this class, although we will try to provide background material on the speaker prior to each class.

COURSE FEE: There is a $180 fee to take the class (fee not yet firm - this is an estimate). This fee covers all wine tastings and dinner for all 14 classes. Please PayPal wineclub@haas.berkeley.edu no later than 1/18/17.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Attendance is mandatory. Missing more than two classes will result in no credit.

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES: The Wine Industry Speaker Series is a holistic survey of the production, distribution, economics, marketing, and culture of oenology. Each class will present a specific aspect of the wine industry with experts in the wine business sharing the intricacies of this complex business. All classes will include wine tastings of some of the top wines on the market today, and some interesting ones too. This perennially popular class promises amazing speakers, significant learning, excellent wine, and great company.

The course is divided into three sections: Wine Tasting & Basics, The Wine Value Chain, and The Wine Industry From The Outside. We will cover everything from small family wineries selling direct to consumer, to grape sourcing for the biggest names in the business, to import regulations, to wine journalism, to wine criticism.

Logistics: Students will form groups of six and each group will receive a box of twelve glasses. You are responsible for these glasses for the entire semester, including storage and cleaning. Broken/missing glasses will result in a $15 replacement fee. Each group will also be responsible for bringing food for one class. The schedule for weekly dinners will be posted after the first class. More filling dishes are better. Please be sure to have plates and serving utensils for your classmates, and email Dale Robinson after the class to be reimbursed.